


Café Family

by notinthemoodforshit



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Coffee Addict Tony Stark, Deaf Clint Barton, Getting Together, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Precious Peter Parker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-16 21:45:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16503278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notinthemoodforshit/pseuds/notinthemoodforshit
Summary: Bucky Barnes owns a café that's open late and he works the closing shift. His regulars are a mess, but they're his mess.





	Café Family

**Author's Note:**

> This was something that popped into my head and I couldn't let this one disappear. Sorry if they're ooc. This is a mix of what I know from the MCU and fanfiction. Also, I know the adoption process takes a lot longer but idc it's fiction yo.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. All rights reserved to Marvel.

 Bucky Barnes has been to hell and back. He grew up poor, joined the Army at 18, then fell off a train while serving and would have died if it weren't for his best friend Steve Rogers. The price for his life? His left arm. They both got a purple heart and honorable discharge. Bucky got a shitty prosthetic and a service dog through the VA and decided to open up a coffee shop with the money he was left when some relative he had never known died and gave all their money to him. It was a good idea at the time and for the first year the shop was open. After a few months he hired his first employee, Phil Coulson, soon followed by Maria Hill and Nick Fury, then a few people who never stayed longer than a couple months. He decided on a whim to have the shop open until midnight after about two years of owning the place because, frankly, he got bored at night when he couldn't sleep due to nightmares and ended up going to the shop to do some work anyway and this would minimize the time he'd be doing nothing. So, he made Coulson, Fury, and Hill managers and gave them each a set of keys. He hired a handful of high school and college kids, and the shop officially announced its new hours of 6am to midnight. Bucky was the only one that worked after 9 at night. It wasn't that no one else wanted to, it was more so that Bucky could have time to himself. This turned out to be both the best and worst decision of his entire life. The result of him keeping the cafe open late, was the most dysfunctional family ever, that built slowly over time.

***

"Buck. Is that-?" Bucky looked up and watched as Tony Stark strolled into his café wearing jeans and a t-shirt, both stained with oil.

"Please tell me you aren't hiding from fans in here. I don't need to deal with screaming today."

"No fans. I just really wanted to try your hot chocolate," Tony said smoothly. Bucky raised an eyebrow.

"Wanna try again, man?"

"Come on. That wasn't believable?"

"Ignoring the fact that it's common knowledge Tony Stark doesn't leave his tower for anything that doesn't involve press, you look like the type of guy who drinks hot chocolate by the fire on Christmas just to make his lover happy, not because you actually enjoy it."

"So then what do I drink on a daily basis?" Tony challenged. Bucky looked at Tony for a second.

"Alcohol of choice is whiskey for sure, though you're probably good at pretending you know about wine. Non-alcoholic, black coffee. Maybe a tiny bit of sugar and cream when you're feeling adventurous." Bucky smirked when Tony sighed, confirming what he said. "Why are you really here?"

"Same reason I assume you are. It's quiet and no one will ask questions." Bucky nodded in understanding and filled a mug with coffee before sliding it over the counter.

"First cup is on the house because you look like shit and in here I'm not going to treat you like Tony Stark. You're just going to be Tony. Dude in the corner is my best friend, he's a police officer, but in here he's just Steve. If you catch him drawing you ignore it. He draws everyone. Says it keeps his skills sharp. Show up enough, he'll get good enough at drawing you that you'll get to keep a sketch." After that night Tony slowly started showing up more and more often. Sometimes he talked to Bucky and/or Steve, sometimes he tapped away on a tablet, other times he sat in silence. On his tenth night, Steve gave him a drawing of him sleeping, a mug of still steaming coffee sitting on the table in front of him. He had unknowingly captured the first time Tony had slept well in months. Tony broke down crying. That was when Tony became family.

***

Shortly after Tony first showed up, a blond man and a red haired woman came into the shop, a dog loyally walking beside the man. His bright purple vest let everyone know that he was a hearing dog. They sat at a table for hours, didn't speak to anyone, didn't order anything. Just sat. Bucky wrote his Steve-drawing-warning on a napkin and left it on the table after seeing the man catch Steve looking at them. The next time he saw them, the woman ordered a caramel latte for herself, and a black coffee for the man. She introduced herself as Natasha and the man as Clint. Tony spoke to her softly about Clint's hearing aides. They were back the next night and everyone talked and got to know each other. Clint and Natasha became regulars and were in attendance on Tony's tenth night at the café.

"Hey guys, I like talking to you and all, but sometimes everything is too much. So, like, if I have my aides out, its like when Tony sits in the corner booth," Clint said one day.

"I know you have Lucky, but I know ASL so in case Natasha isn't here, I can still communicate an emergency to you when you have them out," Bucky said. Clint flashed him a smile.

A month after their second visit, Tony walked into the shop with a large box, a small box, and a friend, who he introduced as Dr. Bruce Banner. Banner and Tony helped Bucky learn how to put on and use his new prosthetic arm. They had also set him up with a physical therapist who would be able to help him get more comfortable with the arm. Bucky almost cried. Tony gave Clint the small box. When Clint put in his new hearing aides and turned them on he cried. He told them that he hadn't been able to hear anything that clearly since before he lost his hearing. That was the night Clint became family. The next day Steve gave Clint a drawing, reminding Clint of what happiness looked like on him. 

*** 

Natasha got her picture a week after Clint got his. It was a simple, colorless sketch of her laughing after Clint had tripped over Lucky's leash while flirting with Bucky.

*** 

"I need the biggest coffee you have. A little bit of cream and a little bit of sugar. I have to get this paper done. I can't fail this class. I can't lose my internship," the kid was rambling. 

"Peter?" Tony had looked up from his phone where he had been texting his new boyfriend (everyone knows it's Banner, but Tony isn't confirming anything).

"Mr. Stark! What are you doing here?"

"Tony's a regular, kid. If you're gonna make a deal about who he is and ruin the peace-"

"Oh! No. That's not-I just wasn't expecting-I know he's just a guy-"

"Pete, breathe," Tony said softly. The kid took a few deep breaths. "Peter is an intern at Stark Industries. He's the only intern allowed to work with Bruce and myself directly. Kid still hasn't realized that he isn't going to lose his internship over a paper."

"Mr. Stark, you said I have to keep my grades up and-"

"Yeah keep your grades up, but don't kill yourself doing it. Let me tell you a secret, no one will think less of you if you end up with a 3.9 GPA while graduating with two degrees."

"3.9? I think Stevie's was a 3.5, mine too. You're obviously smart if you're interning with Stark. Don't stress kid." Bucky handed the kid his coffee. "First one's on the house. Second is on Stark. Don't mind Stevie's weird staring and drawing habit."

"If I'm sitting in the corner booth, that means I need to be left alone," Tony said, gesturing to the booth in question, "otherwise, you can talk to me just like in the lab and I'll help you with any homework you've got."

"I'm Clint and I'm very deaf. If my hearing aides are on the table I don't want to be talked to. If there's an emergency, tell Bucky or Natasha and they'll let me know. Lucky is a service dog, so please don't bother him if his vest is on."

"I'm Natasha."

"Bella over here in the corner is also a service dog," Bucky said, flapping his hand at the corner near the counter. To avoid health code violations, he didn't allow her behind the counter unless it was an emergency. He didn't spend much time behind the counter anyway. "If you ever need help with homework or need to talk or anything, just ask. Someone will help or listen or whatever you need. Also, I technically close the shop at midnight, but I don't kick anyone out until closer to 3 in the morning. Sometimes the shop doesn't close."

Peter was the fastest the become a regular. He was also the fastest to breakdown. It took just a week for him to tell them everything from his parents and uncle dying, to getting bullied in high school then his aunt dying, college stress and his internship. The most shocking, and somehow also least shocking, was when he told them all that he just wanted to make Tony proud and said that Tony was the closest thing he has to a father. That was the night Peter became family. Three weeks later he was given a drawing of himself sitting next to Tony while Tony helped him with his physics work.

*** 

One night Clint stayed later than everyone else. He stays until Bucky closes the shop at 2:47 in the morning. Bucky doesn't say anything to Clint, just gestures for him to follow him and heads to his apartment. They walked in silence, their dogs trailing beside them. When they got inside, Clint paused long enough for them to get the vests and leashes off the dogs before he fell into Bucky's arms.

"I can't fucking hear but it's all so loud at the same time, James." Bucky didn't reply, just held Clint as the man cried. Once Clint had calmed down, they sat on the couch, Clint still safely in Bucky's arms. 

"The arm is so present and so useful, but it's deadweight that's isn't even there," Bucky said quietly. Lucky and Bella flopped down on the floor by the men's feet.

"Someone fucking gets it."

"I've been out of the Army for years and I still wake up shaking."

"Me too. And I know that my dad is dead and Barney isn't going to come near me and the rest of the Circus doesn't know where I am, but they're always right around the corner."

"You can't hear the trains from my apartment or the coffee shop, but they're so loud." Bucky and Clint realized that there was someone that could understand when it seemed like no one else ever could. 

"I've had a crush in you since you wrote a note on a napkin because you realized Nat and I didn't want to talk."

"Really? A crush? Isn't that like a high school thing?" Buck teased. He tilted his face down and tilted Clint's upward with the tip if his finger. Their first kiss was soft and sweet. That was the morning Clint became Bucky's other half.

***

Banner burst into the shop shaking, eyes darting around frantically. Searching, yet unseeing. "T-Tony. Where's Tony?" He asked.

"On the phone. He'll be here soon, Bruce," Peter answered quietly before turning to Bucky. "Chamomile tea with a bit of honey." Clint got up and made the tea in place of Bucky, who was heading to the back to tell Tony what was going on. 

"Bruce, baby, you're okay. You're surrounded by some of the toughest people we've ever met. He can't hurt you here. You're safe." Tony stood a foot away from Bruce while he spoke, his expression and stance open. Bruce took a deep breath and fell into Tony's arms with a sob. He spent the rest of the night with them. That was when he stopped being Banner and began being Bruce. He didn't show up as often as the rest of them, then again neither did Natasha, but he was family regardless. He received a drawing of him staring lovingly at Tony. 

***

Clint had been talking to Steve when Natasha walked in. He looked at his best friend for less than a second before he was on his feet and heading over to her. "You're in America. Your name is Natasha. You're in Bucky's coffee shop in Brooklyn," he said softly.

"I know. Circle up?" She looked at Clint pleadingly. Clint nodded and gestured for everyone to sit at the big round table. The table they sat at when someone needed the support of the whole group. Bucky set a mug of peppermint tea in front of Natasha as everyone settled into their seats. Natasha didn't speak for a while. No one did. No one was impatient, they had all night to hear what she had to say. Two hours later she told them that she struggled to trust people, she gave them a watered-down version of her life story, and ended it by saying that she was in a relationship with Stark's personal assistant, Pepper. Natasha became family that night. 

*** 

Peter walked into the shop later than usual one night, a backpack slug over his shoulder, pajama pants hanging off his waist, an oversized seater that passed his hips, and bags under his eyes. This wasn't a new sight , he'd had bad nights before. What was new, however, was the infant carseat and the infant in it. "Peter, you got something to tell us?" Clint asked. 

"Don't wanna talk about it. Got a lot of homework." Peter sat at his usual table and carefully pulled out his laptop, physics textbook, notebook, and pen without waking the child who was sleeping soundly in her seat on the table. Not ten minutes later she woke up and started crying. Peter took her out of the carseat, sat her on one of his legs, and began bouncing his leg and rubbing a hand on her back as he tried to do what seemed like a complex equation. She quieted slightly for a moment, then started screaming. "Ellie, baby, please I need to focus." Peter was pleading with her. He typed on his phone rapidly before he got up and began pacing and bouncing child gently.

"Peter, are you okay?" Steve asked, getting up from his chair and moving closer to them. Peter's breathing was erratic. He was still trying to calm the child when a man ran into the shop. 

"Peter, I'm gonna take Ellie from you and hand her to one of your friends. I need your head clear for a minute. Who should I give her to?" The man spoke softly, but his voice was firm and left no room for anyone to question him. He took the child and gave Peter an expectant look.

"T-Tony. I tru-ust Tony," Peter choked out between heaving breaths. Tony stepped forward and took the still crying child and the bottle the man pulled from Peter's backpack. The strange man immediately turned back to Peter, who had begun scratching at his arms and tears streaked down his face. The man grabbed Peter's wrists, forced him to cross his arms, then pulled Peter into a hug.

"I've got you, baby. Let it all out." Bella had moved to sit closer to Peter. Everyone else sat still, stunned and scared. This was Peter, sweet Peter who just wanted to get good grades and sometimes cried because of his family and a couple times because Steve killed a spider. He cried and shook for what felt like hours before he eventually went limp in the man's arms.

"Breathe with me, baby boy. You can't calm down if you don't breathe," the man said as he let Peter's arms slip out from between their bodies. Peter pressed his face into the man's chest and tried to slow his breathing. "There you go. You're doing so good, Peter. Just keep breathing." Bella moved to lean against Peter's left leg. Lucky joined her on his other side.

"I'm sorry," Peter said once he had regained control of his breathing.

"None of that. Now, do you wanna tell me what happened?"

"I don't know. I was just doing some physics and I couldn't figure something and I usually ask Tony but he had a rough day and I didn't want to bother him and I realized I probably bother him a lot and I couldn't get Ellie back to sleep and then I wanted to hurt myself because I'm a failure so I texted you like I'm supposed to and it just kept getting worse because I bothered you and you were with Weasel and I was supposed to be watching Ellie and I'm such a bad boyfriend and I'd be such a bad father you guys deserve better I'm a waste of oxygen-"

"Peter, stop it. Breathe. You are allowed to ask for help no matter what. Tony has told you that before. Helping you helps him. You did a great thing by texting me. Weas knows about your anxiety and about Ellie. He understands me leaving. You're a great boyfriend and sorta-stepdad you're worth all the oxygen in the world." Peter didn't respond, just hugged the man tighter.

"Uh...not to gloss over what just happened, but who are you?" Steve asked. Seeing Peter calm, Bucky and Clint called their dogs back to them.

"Wade Wilson, ex-special ops, head of security at Stark Industrues, Peter's boyfriend, and father to six-month-old Ellie."

"Yeah. When the hell did you guys get a kid?" Tony asked, still holding the child who had pushed away the bottle and was still crying, though no longer screaming. Peter instinctively took her back into his arms, successfully calmed her down, and got her to accept her bottle.

"She's mine biologically but she's basically both of ours. Pete and I started dating about a month after Ellie was conceived. Her mother was deemed an unfit parent three days after Ellie was born and I was granted full custody. Peter and I live together so he's helping me with her."

"Peter, you told me the day you guys got together, but you couldn't tell me you have a kid?" Tony asked, genuinely offended.

"I told you because there's a relationship between one of your employees and a paid intern. It has to be reported. And we both updated our next of kin and emergency contacts. There was no way for you to not know."

"But neither of you put a child on your forms. Why?"

"It's none of your-"

"Because we both work pretty high profile jobs, Tony. We both work directly with you. If someone wanted to get to you we're easy access. If no one knows about Ellie they can't use her against us to get information about you or the company," Peter said.

"Well, Wade, you seem to be good for Peter. If it turns out that you're not, I'll torture you so slowly you'll wish you never met him," Natasha said, ending the conversation.

"You actally look like you could do that, except for the fact that Peter is one of two good things in my life and nothing would ever make me wish I never met him." That was all it took for Wade to become family. After that night, he came with Peter for a week straight. Then dissappeared for a few days. He only shows up on weekends after that, almost always with Ellie. His drawing from Steve is by far the sweetest. Ellie in Peter's arms and Peter in Wade's, Wade and Ellie both asleep and Peter if a goofy grin on his face.

 ***

Steve never let the others see him lose it, though Bucky was the obvious exception. If Steve was having a bad day he stayed home, or went to see his boyfriend, Sam. Needless to say, Bucky was shocked when Steve brought Sam into the shop with him. However, he wasn't surprised when the two sat at Tony's don't-talk-to-me-table, Steve tucked into Sam's side. Clint raised an eyebrow at Bucky, who shrugged in response. It wasn't his place to tell them Steve's shit. Clint accepted the lack of answer and turned to rock Ellie back to sleep.

"I guess it's my turn to lay my heart out," Steve said, standing from the table. It was around eleven pm and a frazzled college kid had just left after chugging two mugs of coffee. Everyone waited for Steve to decide where he wanted to be before moving. Unlike everyone else, Steve didn't head for the round table. Instead he moved to lean against the counter where Bucky and Clint already were. Clint had a bad habit of sitting on the counter so that he could be near Bucky when he was working. 

"Stevie, you don't have to tell us anything," Clint said. Everyone nodded in agreement. Steve smiled and shook his head. 

"I prepared for this. That's why I brought him." He gestured to Sam. Sam waved. Steve took and deep breath and told everyone about growing up poor, losing his mom, living with Bucky, getting into the Army later because of a delayed growth spurt, thinking he lost Bucky, putting his life and career on the line to save Bucky and a bunch of other soldiers, almost losing Bucky a second time, the guilt of Bucky losing his arm. Early on in his story Bucky had to lean more heavily on the counter, his hand resting on Bella's head, his head on Clint's thigh.

"I love you and I'm not trying to discredit your feelings," Tony said once Steve had finished talking, "but damn it, Steve, none of that is your fault. I'm sure Bucky and Sam have already told you that." 

"That's doesn't matter, Tony. Survivor's guilt is so difficult to overcome that it can destroy someone. You can't tell me you don't remember my breakdown in your office the other day. It doesn't have to make sense. It never will. Doesn't matter who says it, or how often, it's gonna take more than words to stop it," Peter said softly. Steve reached out and pulled Peter into a hug. The two shared a mumbled conversation. That was the night Steve realized he was part of the family too.

***

It had been exactly one year since Clint and Bucky had told each other the things no one else could understand. Exactly one year since they started dating. Roughly four months since Clint had become an unofficial manager of the shop and had been given a set of keys. Three months since Clint became an official manager, with the title 'Ultimate Manager' that makes him everyone's boss but Bucky's and he was given the task of hiring new employees when needed. Clint was woken by Lucky pressing his nose against his side repeatedly. When he finally blinked his eyes open the dog turned his head to Clint's nightstand where his phone was ringing. He sighed, put in his aides, and answered. "Better be important."

"Hey, Clint, Bucky isn't here yet and he's not answering his phone and obviously I can't leave until there's another manager or the owner here. Can you come to the shop so I can leave?" Coulson asked.

"Um. Yea-wait. What? Bucky's not there? What's wrong?" 

"I figured you'd know."

"I haven't seen him. He's at his apartment." There was a long pause. "Phil?"

"You guys don't live together?"

"Nope. I'll head to his place and see what's up before heading to you. Hold tight for another 30 minutes. I'll approve the overtime." Clint hung up before Coulson could say anything else. He showered, brushed his teeth, and dressed quickly before heading out with Lucky in tow. He got to Bucky's apartment and let himself in with the key he had been given on Valentine's Day, Bucky had been given one to Clint's apartment as well. "James? Baby you here?"

"Bedroom." Bucky's voice wasn't a strong as it usually is. Clint followed the voice and saw Bucky laying in bed. He took one look at his boyfriend and gave him a sad smile. 

"Left arm hurting?" Bucky nodded. "I can tell Coulson to just lock up the shop. We can tell everyone that you're not feeling well and had to call in."

"Money's gotta be counted. Paperwork has to be done. It's nearing the end of a semester so there's too many kids depending on the shop being open. I'll be up in just a minute." They sat in silence for a few seconds.

"Phil thought we lived together."

"We basically do, but there's no point in you officially moving in now. I just found a place closer to the shop. You can move in with me there. Figure when we get married we'll be co-owners, so it'll be nice for us both to be close."

"That a proposal, Jimmy?"

"Judging by your tone, I need to say no."

"I'm gonna go let Phil go home. I expect you to have a more romantic proposal ready when you get there."

"Love you." Clint smiled and moved to kiss Bucky.

"I love you too. Lucky, let's go." Lucky licked Bucky's hand and followed Clint out the door. When they got to the coffee shop, Peter was already there with Wade and Ellie.

"Oh, thank god, I was worried Agent was going to be here all night," Wade said.

"Be nice to Phil or you're banned from my shop."

"Your shop? You and Barnes get married without telling us?"

"It's my shop, married or not. You all know that I can get Bucky to agree to just about any decision I make regarding the shop."

"I would like to go home, come count the register." Clint quickly moved behind the counter to begin his task. He printed the register report, counted the money three times, had Coulson count once, then they both signed the paperwork. "Someone is coming in for an interview tonight. I told her that was the best chance of seeing the hiring manager."

"You could have called me to set up a real time."

"She needed it to be by tomorrow at noon."

"Still could have called me."

"You and Bucky can do real work tonight. Have fun." With that, Coulson left as Bucky was walking in. Bella trailed next to him. 

"What was that about?"

"Someone is coming in for an interview tonight."

"You're both here! Great," Peter said. He sounded both excited and scared.

"What's up, Pete?" Clint asked.

"I was with Bruce and Tony the other day and they pointed out that Ellie doesn't have godparents. Wade and I were talking and we decided that if anything were to happen to both of us, we would want you two to raise her."

"Us? Why not Tony and Bruce? They'll be able to send her to better schools and help her with shit."

"Part of it is because if something were to happen to both of us it would likely be related to Stark and his business. But the bigger part is because you two can teach her the really important things. Like love, ASL, and how to handle a panic attack. You two love each other and all of your friends so much. That's what we want her around," Wade said, surprising both of them with how serious he could be.

"You guys would also be first choice babysitters. Especially for things that we'd both be out of town for, like, say for example, the bashing of Hammer Industries next week."

"What?"

"Justin Hammer has decided that he is going to let other scientists and inventors look at his stuff and tell him how 'great' it is. Tony, Bruce, and Peter are gonna go shit all over his work. Happy gets to drive everyone around. Pepper is going so they don't get sued. Thor, Sharon, and I are all going so that they don't get their asses kicked."

"Peter, do you have a personal security guard?"

"Yeah. How the hell do you think I met Wade? Obviously, he's Tony's personal security now, but he was mine for conferences and stuff like that. Then he got promoted to head of security, Thor is still with Bruce, and Sharon got promoted to me. I thought Thor would be upset that Wade got promoted first, but he seems to not mind. Anyway, once he wasn't my security anymore we started dating."

"Back to the important issue," Bucky said, "you guys really want Clint and I to be her godparents? And babysit her next week for how many days?"

"Three. Obviously, you could hand her off to Steve or Natasha if you wanted, but we'd prefer you guys."

"Well, the house I'm looking at does have three bedrooms. We could make one for her." Bucky looked to Clint and they had a silent conversation. "Guess we need to go sign a lease tomorrow and start moving in."

"You guys are gonna get a house?"

"And a godchild."

Three hours later, the whole family was in the shop. Even Bruce, Pepper, and Sam were there. Bucky and Clint wanted to celebrate their anniversary with the people who made their relationship possible. Sam was in the middle of telling the story of his first time meeting Clint when someone walked into the shop. "Hey, what can I get for you?" Bucky asked, though he didn't get up from his seat.

"Uh, I'm here fo-Clint?" The girl stopped walking. Clint's head shot up.

"Kate? What are you doing here?"

"Job interview. Why are you here?"

"I'm the hiring manager."

"How did you manage to get a job, let alone become a manager?"

"Simple. I fucked the owner and he has yet to put a ring on it, so I'm not yet a co-owner."

"Didn't know you were that kind of man, Barton."

"Well, I'm not the same man I was two and a half years ago."

"Someone wanna tell me what's going on?" Bucky asked.

"You have to do her interview. I know her. Can't be objective."

"That all I get to know?"

"Up to her."

"Some of your secrets would be at risk too, Clint. Not just mine."

"You are the only secret I kept from Bucky."

"The rest of them?" She glanced around the room.

"They don't know all the details of things. Don't know all my kinks. They know the big things. Dad, Barney, stuff like that."

"Swordsman?" Clint nodded. "You trust them all?"

"With Lucky's life."

"Alright," she took a deep breath. "Long story short, Clint saved my life when I was 12.  He stuck around for a year, acting as a big brother, then just over two years ago, on my 13th birthday, he left. I didn't want someone taking care of me, so I pushed him away. Basically told him he didn't matter. I've been avoiding him since. Obviously didn't do too well if I'm in the same room as him."

"Can I ask how he saved your life? Bucky asked.

"Dad got involved with the mob. Clint happened to walk by when I was getting kidnapped. He had just left the range so he had his bow. Didn't kill anyone, but they sure as hell weren't going to try anything again."

"Why do you need this job? Mob connections usually mean money."

"Dad has the money. I want nothing to do with him."

"Living in his shadow, abuse when he's drunk, and you're always left with someone else?" Tony asked. Kate didn't answer. "Silence means yes. I get it, kid. I'm the son of Howard Stark. Edwin Jarvis is the only father figure I've ever had. I imagine Clint is yours."

"I'm done discussing my life."

"Alright. Let's talk about the chances of you getting a job. I don't give them to people because of a sob story. Everyone in here has one and only one person is an employee. Tell me why I should pick you over the other applicants."

"I'm a good worker. You can ask Clint."

"I'm not asking him. His opinion means nothing to me about this. You said you didn't want someone taking care of you, so let's hear what you have to say."

"Okay, I lied. I knew Clint was here. I've been looking for him. I used the job interview as a ruse to make sure he wouldn't kick me out."

"Kate, I wouldn't kick you out. You're 15 for fuck's sake. If you're seeking me out something happened. I told you when I left that you could always come to me. What's going on?"

"Dad kicked me out. I didn't know were else to go. I heard that you worked here and I decided to just suck it up and try to talk to you. I have no one else." She sat in a chair and put her head in her hands. Clint looked at Bucky. Bucky raised an eyebrow. Clint bit the inside of his cheek. Bucky sighed.

"We're going to just start a collection of kids that aren't ours, aren't we?"

"We aren't going to have a guest room anymore."

"What guests would we even have?"

"Good point. Kate, you're moving in with us. Tonight you can come with me to my place. Tomorrow Buck and I were gonna go sign a lease and see how quickly we can move in to a new place that he found. We'll lay ground rules and everything tomorrow. Gotta also talk to your dad about him giving up his rights so we can be your legal guardians. How do you feel about Xavier's school? Peter and Wade both went there. You're smart. You could get a scholarship."

"You're serious?"

"Of course. Hey, Pete, I found you a great babysitter.

"You can't just adopt a teenager to get out of godparent duties," Wade said.

"Of course I can. Watch me."

Two days later, Clint, Bucky, Kate, Lucky, and Bella finished moving into their new home. A month later, the shop was closed for a day. Clint and Bucky were surrounded by their found family, Coulson, Hill, and Fury. Sam stood under a tree, Clint and Bucky just in front of him. Nat, Kate, and Lucky stood slightly behind Clint. Steve, Tony, and Bella behind Bucky. The wedding was small and simple. The next day, Bucky and Clint did all the paperwork to transfer half of the company to Clint. The following week, a social worker inspected the house and began the adoption process, Tony and his lawyers helped rush it which was helped by Kate's father willingly giving up custody. On Kate's 16th birthday, just three months after reuniting with Clint, the Cafe Family was in a courtroom, finalizing the adoption.

***

Bucky Barnes had been through hell and back. He grew up poor, but now he feels like the richest man on earth. One day he made the decision to have his little coffee shop open until midnight. The result of that decision was the greatest family he could have ever asked for. Five years out of the army, Bucky has a beautiful prosthetic arm that feels incredibly real and works as if it were, a service dog that he would give his life for, a husband who makes him happier than he has ever been, a teenage daughter who is the newest light of his life and another reason for him to smile, his husband's dog who doesn't let them oversleep and miss the bus, a goddaughter who is growing up way too fast, a pseudo-nephew who has way too much energy and has just graduated top of his class with three degrees. He still has his best friend, Steve Rogers, but now he also has a soon-to-be-sort-of-brother-in-law, a sort-of-sister-in-law, and a handful of friends he could trust with not only his life, but the lives of the rest of his little Cafe Family. Opening the shop until midnight was the greatest decision he has ever made, though he tells people it was kissing Clint for the first time.

 


End file.
